Reference Service as a Guide in Public Library Organization Available to Purchase

Given its importance in library operations and in the profession, reference service should be an important consideration in any library reorganization, regardless of the other factors contributing to the decision to reorganize. But because the conditions prompting a reorganization are often sudden and extraordinary, a library manager may overlook their impact on reference service, reacting instead to the more immediate pressures of budget cuts, staff losses, and other constraints that have been externally imposed. With informed planning, however, even a reorganization begun in a negative context can result in continued good reference service or even place the library in a position to improve reference quality.